Luna's Nightmare
by Lord Lycaon
Summary: Princess Luna has been plagued by the same horrible dream for months. When sent to Ponyville by her sister for some rest, Celestia goes missing, leaving all of Equestria in the dark of night. With the aid of the Mane 6, Luna must find her sister and stop a mysterious cult before the entire world becomes doomed to an eternity of darkness.
1. Chapter 1

Luna walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle, fully appreciating everything around her. The great palace had improved considerably in appearance since her absence. It had become a beautiful piece of architecture. She sometimes doubted whether she really belonged here. She looked out at the sky through a window. It was nearly time for her to raise the moon and bring out the stars. She would have to walk all the way back up to the balcony where she and Celestia usually raised and set the moon and sun respectively.

As she traversed the great halls of the castle, she couldn't help but feel like she was being… watched. It was unsettling to say the least. She shrugged it off as she continued through the palace, occasionally greeting guards a she walked. It was strange though… the guards were few and far between, and the ones that she saw sometimes looked at her as though she were a stranger. She couldn't blame them really. She had been gone for over a thousand years, and she never thought of herself to be particularly memorable. Not like her… other self.

A fell breeze suddenly sent a chill down her spine, making her shiver apprehensively. Why was she suddenly so nervous? It wasn't like her, especially when she was alone.

Eventually, she made it to throne room, and was about to head for the balcony to raise the moon, but stopped in her tracks when she saw a silhouette standing at her destination. At first, she thought it was just Celestia, waiting for her to stand by her side like they did so many years ago. "Sister?" she called, but the silhouette gave no response. She stepped closer. There was something eerily familiar about this figure. "If you're not Celestia, then who are you? Answer me."

The silhouette chuckled ominously at first. Luna shuddered at that alone. That laugh was truly frightening. "Do you not remember me, dear Luna?" alicorn mare asked. Slowly, she turned, her eyes glowing with an evil light. "I'm hurt. Did you truly forget the mare that was created through your heart?"

Luna's eyes slowly went wide as realization dawned on her. She backed up, fear gradually beginning to consume her. "N-no! It can't be you!"

"Oh, it is," the dark mare said with a sadistic laugh. Luna shook her head in disbelief. Not knowing any other solution, she turned and galloped away as fast as she could, that evil laughter chasing her all through the castle. Every guard she passed this time did not greet her. They gave chase as soon as she passed them. Their normally golden armor was replaced by cold-looking steel and black plates, and they all now had fangs in their mouths.

"Celestia!" Luna screamed for her sister again and again, but never once got an answer. She kept running, that maddening laughter still flowing into her ears.

Soon, she made it out of the Canterlot Castle… only to be greeted by a desolate Canterlot. She looked on in horror as the ponies of the once fair city cowered and ran for their lives. How did this happen? What was going on?

Soon enough, the terrified ponies took notice of her. Their looks of fear became expressions of hatred. "There she is!" one shouted, pointing hoof at her accusingly. "She's the one who did this! We can stop her while she's weak!"

Everything had just gone from horrible to completely terrifying. The hordes of outraged ponies marched closer and closer to her. She backed up several steps, and soon bumped into something. She yelped in fear and backed away from the swarm of guards that had appeared behind her.

All the while, that horrible laugh continued to ring out. She laid down on the ground, trying to cover her ears to protect herself from that voice she feared so much. "Please…" she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cowered. "Please, just stop!"

Her pleas went unheeded as the voice continued to taunt her. That horrible, horrible voice that she was so foolish to listen to a thousand years ago. The voice of Nightmare Moon roared with villainous glee as Luna pleaded again and again for it to stop.

-o-

She screamed as she shot up from her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. The dark blue alicorn gasped as her heart pounded in her chest. It felt as though it was going to explode out her body. She placed a hoof over her chest in an effort to calm herself. It was just a dream. A very bad dream.

"Princess Luna!" a guard shouted as he knocked the door open, completely disregarding the night princess's privacy. Three other guards stood behind him, all ready to jump into action if it was called for. "We heard you scream! Are you all right?"

"Y-yes," Luna answered hesitantly. "Just… a dream. Forgive me for wasting your time, Sir Knight."

"Are you certain?" the guard inquired. Luna nodded and motioned for the guards to leave her chamber. When they were gone, she sighed. Despite her role as the Princess of the Night and a dream-walker, she never liked dreaming herself. She never dreamt of anything pleasant.

Finally calm again, she looked out her window and saw that the sun was already fairly high up into the sky. She could only assume that it was close to noon by now. She had completely overslept, and thus accidentally left Celestia with setting the moon and taking the stars down from the sky. She would need to apologize to her sister for that when she saw her next.

-o-

Celestia sipped from a cup of rather delicious tea as she waited for her food. Today promised to be a wonderful day. As one of the royal cooks brought her meal, her sister also happened to enter the room. The younger alicorn seemed rather depressed.

"Good morning, Luna!" Celestia greeted her sister cheerfully.

"It's almost noon, Tia," Luna pointed out. She blushed in embarrassment then. "Forgive me for oversleeping. I'll make it up to you. I'll set the sun for you today if you want."

Celestia shook her head. "It's quite all right, Little Sister," she said with a warm smile on her visage. "I've been taking care of the sun, moon, and the stars for a thousand years. It's no trouble, really. Besides, you've been so busy with your royal duties lately, I thought you deserved some extra time to rest."

Luna nodded her understanding. "I… thank you, sister." She was quiet then, clearly lost in thought about something, even as one of the cooks brought her food to her.

Celestia gave her younger sister a worried look. "You had that dream again, didn't you?" Luna cringed at the word "dream," proving the white alicorn correct. Luna had been having that same recurring nightmare ever since she returned to Canterlot, though it was normally not so many nights in a row. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Luna was silent for several moments before speaking again. "I-I… I don't know what's real anymore, sister," she admitted sadly, quivering as she spoke. "Am I Luna? Am I Nightmare Moon? Am I being true to myself either way? I just… ever since Twilight Sparkle and her friends released me from Nightmare Moon, I've been asking myself those questions every night and day that I'm awake. And these nightmares don't' make it any better." Tears began to pour down her face, sorrow evident in her voice. She faced Celestia, her eyes bloodshot and stinging with the salty liquid. "Tell me, Celestia… who _am _I!?"

She completely broke down, her sobs echoing throughout the dining hall. Celestia stared at her sister in genuine shock. She had never, ever seen her so… broken. So hopeless. It pained her to see her like this. Gently, she stretched out her wing and wrapped it around Luna, pulling her in close. The younger mare pressed her face into her sister's chest, letting her pain spill through her eyes onto the white alicorn's pure coat.

"Luna…" Celestia said in a calm, comforting tone. "Shh. It's okay. It's okay." Luna's sorrowful eyes continued to spill the liquid pain. It was painful for Celestia to see her beloved sister like this. She nuzzled the other alicorn's mane comfortingly. "Do you want to know who you are?"

Luna looked up at her sister, sad hope in her blue eyes.

"You are my sister. And no matter what, you always will be my sister. I love you more than anything, Luna. Never forget that."

Luna stared at Celestia with wide, awe-filled eyes. The floor then suddenly became very interesting to her. After several moments of silence, she finally said, "Thank you… sister."

Celestia nodded and released the younger alicorn, who scooted back to her original position at the dining table. The Princess of the Sun smiled at her sister. "I believe you may need a break from all your hard work of late."

"What?" Luna questioned. "You mean… a vacation? From royal duty?"

Celestia nodded. "Exactly! I'm sure Twilight would be more than happy to accommodate you in Ponyville."

"B-but, sister-!"

"Ah-ah, I won't take no for an answer," Celestia said with finality, while still managing to keep a mischievous smile on her face. "You need a vacation. I think some time away from Canterlot might do you some good. It should be nice to get out of this stuffy old town anyway."

Luna sighed in defeat. She knew that once Celestia made up her mind, there was no changing it. "Very well. But if something important comes up that requires my attention as well-!"

"Don't worry, Lulu." Luna turned beet red at the nickname that Celestia had given her when they were both young so many centuries ago. "If something comes up, I'll let you know, all right? But I doubt it'll be something that I can't handle. Just relax, Little Sister. You of all ponies deserve a little R&R."

The Princess of the Night nodded reluctantly. "Okay, Tia. I'll try to… relax. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle knows of a place where I can do that."

"There you go!" the sun princess cheered. "Now you're getting the idea! Now then, with that settled, how about we eat? This lunch looks absolutely wonderful!"

"Especially since I slept through breakfast," Luna admitted, a small smile forming on her face. Celestia chuckled as they began to eat. It really was delicious.

-o-

On a cliff with a spectacular view of nearly all of Equestria, a jet black unicorn stallion with a dark red mane and silver eyes stood, watching the great land before him. He wore a black cloak that had a moon with the head of an alicorn mare emblazoned on the back around his body and silver armor on his hooves. He scanned the countryside, judging if it was a truly worthy land for his queen's soon-to-be capital.

"Milord," called the voice another stallion, a pegasus wearing the traditional armor of their fellowship. The unicorn turned to face the pegasus. "The others are becoming anxious. When will we carry out your plan?"

"Soon," the unicorn replied with a calm, dark, yet smooth tone. His voice was both enigmatic and charismatic at the same time. It was the kind of voice that could inspire millions and cause mass panic with just a few words. "Very soon. Tell them that we are to make for Canterlot come dusk."

"Of course, milord." Then pegasus saluted and flew off to inform his comrades.

The unicorn returned his attention to Equestria. Soon, their mistress would be revived. And soon, darkness will reign supreme once and for all.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a beautiful afternoon in Ponyville. The sun was shining brilliantly, the birds sang happily, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Rainbow Dash and the weather ponies had really outdone themselves, Twilight Sparkle thought as she and Spike walked down the street, a long checklist dragging on the ground behind them. "So, Spike, what's next?" she asked, ready for the schedule's next task.

Spike scanned through the list carefully until he got to the next unchecked item. "We have to find Rainbow Dash for today's flying lesson," he said with an amused grin as Twilight groaned. It had been about a month since the purple unicorn had become an alicorn princess. Despite the change in position, however, things hadn't really changed all that much (if one didn't count her new wings of course). One of the few differences were her new flying lessons being given by Rainbow Dash, who basically turned into a drill sergeant whenever they started the lesson. Spike chuckled at something then.

"What?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Your wings are open again," the baby dragon replied. Twilight looked at her wings, which were indeed unfolded, then looked to see several ponies staring, and some even bowing. She blushed, smiling sheepishly as she closed the feathery limbs on her back.

"Come on, Spike. Let's go find Rainbow." She then continued walking forward, Spike chuckling to himself at the time.

They soon found Rainbow lounging in a tree, looking rather peaceful. Twilight sighed and called out to her friend. "Rainbow!" The blue pegasus opened one eye and looked over at the purple alicorn. "It's time for my flying lesson. Is now a good time?"

"Sure," Rainbow replied, jumping down and landing perfectly in front of her friend. "Get ready, 'cause today, we're gonna be practicing flying in high-velocity winds! It's important, so you'd better pay attention!"

Twilight was about to respond when Spike suddenly belched, and a letter formed from the magical mist. Twilight immediately took the letter with her magic and opened it. "It's from Princess Celestia. 'My dear student Twilight; I hope you're adjusting well to your new station, not to mention your new wings. I send this letter to inform you that my sister, Luna, is on her way to Ponyville right now for some rest and relaxation. She's been rather stressed lately, so I hope that this will ease her mind somewhat. I would like for you to make accommodations for her to stay with you until she returns to Canterlot. Your mentor, Celestia.'"

There was a strong silence pervading the air for several moments.

"So, wait," Rainbow said, "Princess Luna's coming to town for a while?"

"That's great!" Spike said excitedly. "I don't think we've seen her since last Nightmare Night!"

Twilight, however, looked somewhat in shock. "Princess… Luna… is coming to Ponyville…" The silence returned again. Until… "SPIKE! WE HAVE TO GET THE TREEHOUSE READY! FAST!" Without waiting for a response, she galloped away, heading straight for home.

"Hey, what about today's lesson!?" Rainbow shouted. She turned to Spike, who simply shrugged and picked up the letter, which had fallen to the ground.

"'PS: Don't worry too much about how everything looks. Despite being very old-fashioned, Luna doesn't mind how her living conditions look, as long as they're not too messy. So don't stress out, okay?'" The young dragon turned to Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. Spike sighed. "She's gonna be super stressed about this. I can feel it in my very scales."

-o-

And he was right. As soon as he returned to the library, he found Twilight running around and reorganizing everything so that it looked as perfect as physically possible. He groaned at this. He knew it was going to happen. "Come on, Twilight, calm down. The letter had a PS saying not to worry about how everything looks!"

"But this is Princess Luna, Spike!" Twilight pointed out. "You know how formal her tastes are! I don't want to leave her in a house that's less than what she deserves! Now help me out here!"

Spike groaned as he went over to the bookcase ladder and pushed it to a spot where Twilight wasn't focusing her magic. Just as he reached to begin taking out and replacing books, they heard what sounded like a chariot landing outside, soon followed by a knock on the door. "Huh, sounds like she's here already."

Twilight shrieked at this. "Oh, no, we haven't finished cleaning up yet!"

Spike rolled his eyes as he hopped off of the ladder and headed for the door. "Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure she won't mind a book or two out of place." With that said, he opened the door, revealing Princess Luna, a pair of royal guards standing behind her. "Welcome, Princess!"

"Greetings, Spike," Luna replied in a very formal tone. She turned her attention to Twilight, who gave a sheepish grin. "And to you as well, Twilight Sparkle." She turned to her guards. "You are dismissed for now. I shall send word to my sister when I am ready to return." The guards nodded and returned to the chariot, taking off once they were hooked up to it again.

Twilight laughed somewhat nervously. "So, uh, welcome to my humble home, Princess!" she greeted. "I had only just received Princess Celestia's letter a few minutes ago, so I didn't really have time to clean the place up."

"Certainly didn't stop you from trying," Spike stated sarcastically, earning him a glare from the lavender alicorn.

"It is quite all right," Luna said as she entered the library. She examined the shelves with an impressed look. "You have quite a collection of literature I see."

"Oh, thank you," Twilight replied, pleased by the compliment. "You're free to browse the shelves if you like. Spike! Get the guest room ready for Luna, okay?" Spike saluted and dashed off to prepare the room. Twilight then faced Luna again. "Would you like me to get you anything, Princess?"

"We are of the same station, Twilight Sparkle," Luna pointed out. "You do not need to refer to me so formally. Just call me Luna."

Twilight chuckled a little awkwardly, blushing in slight embarrassment. "R-right. I keep forgetting that. Well, anyway, make yourself at home. I'll go tell everypony that you're here." Luna nodded as the younger alicorn headed for the door… which promptly slammed open, smashing the young princess into the wall.

"Hey, we heard Princess Luna is here!" shouted an excited Pinkie Pie, who was grinning like a psychopath. She stopped smiling and looked around, apparently confused. "Hey, where's Twilight?"

"I think you smashed her with the door again, darling," Rarity stated as she walked in, followed by the rest of the Mane 6. When everyone was in, Pinkie closed the door, revealing a near-flattened Twilight Sparkle on the wall.

"Oops!" Pinkie said as the others peeled the purple mare off the wall. "Sorry, Twilight! I'm just really excited that Luna's here!"

Twilight groaned as she rubbed her head. "It's okay, Pinkie. How did you know Luna was here?"

"Rainbow said that you got a letter from Princess Celestia," Fluttershy explained quietly. "We were all hoping to see her again."

Luna ear's perked up at that. "You… wanted to see me?"

"Of course!" Applejack said cheerfully. "We're friends, ain't we? Why shouldn't friends wanna see each other?"

Luna just stared at the group before her with genuine surprise. They truly thought of her as their friend? Was this really happening? "I… I do not know what to say. Other than my sister, I do not think I have ever really had a true friend before."

"Well, now you've got six friends right here!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. She then suddenly gasped loudly. "We should throw a welcome party for you!"

"Oh, what a splendid idea!" Rarity agreed. "Oh, and Princess, once that's done, you simply must let me design a new dress for you! Oh, I can already tell that it will be simply divine!"

"And I reckon mah family would love to meet ya!" Applejack threw in. "You gotta try mah Granny Smith's homemade apple pie!"

"And I think my animals would really like someone like you," Fluttershy added hopefully.

At those statements, a light bulb clicked in Twilight's mind. "That gives me an idea! We could give you a tour of Ponyville! You didn't really stick around long enough to get to know the area the last time you were here. Now's a perfect time for you to get around town and meet everypony!"

Luna was speechless. She hadn't expected a welcome quite this friendly. Despite having been back for a year now, everypony was still rather nervous around her. She had always assumed that it came with her role. The night was always treated with suspicion and varying levels of fear. "Thank you," she said, a small smile forming. "Thank you all for your hospitality. I would love to tour your village."

"But first," Pinkie said, extending the second word somewhat. "Party for Princess Luna at Sugarcube Corner! Follow me, everypony!" The pink Earth Pony then darted off at speeds that made even Rainbow Dash and Luna watch with wide eyes. The pink mare certainly had a lot of energy.

-o-

Celestia sighed in boredom as she dealt with a small mountain of paperwork that all leaders always had to deal with. Even royalty wasn't immune to the dreaded business side of leading and guiding a nation. As she took care of some papers regarding a financial issue in Manehattan, a unicorn guard entered the room.

"You Highness," he said in a businesslike tone. "I've come to inform you that Princess Luna has safely arrived at Ponyville, and will send word to you directly whenever she is ready to return."

The Princess of the Sun nodded. "Thank you." She motioned to some papers to her right side. "Would you mind taking these filled out papers here down to the mailroom for me? They need to be sent off."

"Of course, Princess," the guard replied, taking a stack of completed paperwork with his magic and leaving the room. Celestia looked over to pile of papers to her left and sighed at what she saw. She still had a good two feet of paperwork to go before she could have any real free time to herself.

She looked out a nearby window at the sky, where the sun blazed as it slowly descended. She wondered if Luna was doing all right in the little town. Was she having a good time? The princess chuckled to herself. Of course she was. Twilight and her friends would make sure of that. Still…

"Something doesn't feel right," she thought out loud. She shrugged off the feeling and returned to her work. She had no idea how many eyes were on her at that exact moment.


	3. Chapter 3

Luna wasn't sure what she should've done. She was surrounded by ponies that she had met before, but had never really been able to get to know. Needless to say, she wasn't completely comfortable at parties. Pinkie Pie had insisted that she throw a welcoming party with the whole town invited. Sugarcube Corner was completely packed. It was so filled up in fact, that some ponies had to stay outside. Pinkie compensated for that by making sure that the outside of the bakery was heavily decorated and set up for partying as well.

The Princess of the Night sat at a table, occasionally returning greetings from ponies that had wanted to meet her, but she didn't do anything more than that.

"Is something wrong, Luna?" Twilight asked the elder alicorn, who sighed.

"I am… not entirely sure about this whole 'vacation' thing," she admitted. "I know Celestia is merely concerned for my well-being, but I simply cannot seem to relax at all." The lavender alicorn gave a questioning look. "I… have this feeling that… something bad is going to happen. I cannot quite explain it, but it is there."

Twilight giggled. "It may be just the stress of your royal duties," she said. Luna nodded halfheartedly. "Come on, Luna! I'll show you some games. Remember how much fun you had playing those party games on Nightmare Night?"

The elder princess nodded again. "Yes. I suppose."

"Then let's go!" Twilight then led Luna throughout the party, showing her every game that Pinkie had set up. The dark blue alicorn reluctantly participated in the games, some of which were just like the ones she had played the last time she had come to Ponyville, and some she hadn't even heard of until she had returned to Equestria after her thousand-year absence.

Time passed quickly as she finally really joined the party. She managed to mingle with the other ponies, and gradually grew more comfortable with all of them. Eventually, however, she returned to her original seat, but was now accompanied by several other ponies, with whom she laughed and shared stories.

Twilight couldn't help but feel a certain pride swell up within her. Luna had quickly and easily managed to open up. The purple alicorn gave a proud smile as she sipped some apple juice.

"How's Princess Luna doing?" asked the voice of Fluttershy from behind.

Twilight faced her friend and said, "She seems to be doing all right. It's been a year since she's come back to Equestria, but she's still not fully accustomed to what the world's become so far."

"I hope she manages to make more friends than just us and the others," Fluttershy stated with concern for the Princess of the Night. "She must've been so lonely until we talked to her last Nightmare Night."

"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you two!" Rainbow Dash said as she jumped into the conversation. "She's a princess after all. I doubt there's anything that she can't handle on her own!"

"Maybe you're right, Rainbow," Twilight admitted. She looked out a nearby window. "The night sky sure is pretty tonight."

"Night sky?" inquired a voice that made the young princess jump out of her seat and fall clumsily to the ground. Twilight turned to see none other than Luna standing over her.

Blushing in embarrassment, Twilight said, "Y-yeah. The stars look great, don't you think?" Curious, Luna looked out the window, but her expression was more scrutinizing than admiring.

"Something does not seem quite right," she said. She turned to face the crowd of partying ponies and said, "Excuse me, does anypony have the time?"

A brown stallion nearby nodded and said, "It's 5:30 in the afternoon, Princess."

"5:30…" Luna parroted quietly, her expression becoming a bit more confused. "At this time of year… it should still be daylight out right now."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"It should still be daytime right now," Luna explained, "but it is dark out, and it is summertime. Celestia knows that the days during summer should be longer." She suddenly grew a concerned look. "Something is wrong. Twilight Sparkle, where is your dragon friend? I need to send a letter to my sister, just to make sure that everything is all right."

Twilight nodded her understanding and called Spike over. When the baby dragon arrived before her, the purple alicorn said, "Spike, Princess Luna needs to send a letter to Princess Celestia. Think you can do that?"

"It would be an honor!" Spike replied. "I'll just go get you a quill and some paper, and you can-" Suddenly, he belched, green flames shooting from his mouth and quickly taking the form of a letter.

Twilight smiled at this. "A letter from Celestia! Maybe this'll explain why she made it dark out so early today." Luna nodded her agreement as the younger mare opened the letter and began to read it:

_"To whomever it may concern,_

_"You most likely do not know of us, but we know of all of you. You who worship and frolic in the hypocritical rule of the sun. We have your princess. She is weak, as her subjects have become. Let free our mistress, and your princess shall be spared._

_"Yours, Lord Necros of the Knights of the Dark Moon"_

As she read the letter aloud, her expression contorting into a look of horror, everypony else stopped whatever they were doing, all their faces matching Twilight's. "W-what is this?" Twilight asked. This had to be some kind of sick joke! "Luna, do you know anything about this?"

"I…" Luna hesitated, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous. "I do not. But…" She trailed off, looking anxiously at the townsfolk gathered around her.

Seeing this as a cue of sorts, Rainbow zipped around the room and the area outside, saying, "All right, everypony, party's over! Time to pack it in!"

"Aw! But it was just getting good!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed in disappointment as all the ponies, save for the Mane 6, Spike, and Luna, left for home.

Luna, still feeling _very_ uneasy, took a deep breath and said, "Perhaps your library has something akin to an answer as to who these 'Knights of the Dark Moon' are, Twilight. Shall we go?"

Twilight, with an expression that was a mix of confusion and suspicion, nodded in agreement. She announced to her friends that they were going to the library, and they all headed off.

-o-

Luna used her magic to flip through the pages of the book on the desk in front of her. She and the others were combing the library for whatever information they could dig up. The whole while, Twilight seemed to be keeping an eye on Luna for some reason.

Rainbow Dash tossed aside a book in frustration. "This is pointless! We're not gonna find anything! For all we know, there might not even be anything here about these Knights or whatever they call themselves!"

"Simmer down there, Rainbow," Applejack advised calmly. "We don't wanna jump into this whole thing without bein' prepared. Remember when we faced folks like Discord, the changelings, and that Sombra feller? We were hardly what Ah would've called prepped for that." Rainbow snorted in response, but said nothing to argue.

"Applejack's right," Twilight said. "Whatever we can find would certainly be a big help. Luna, are you sure you don't know anything about these guys?"

The night princess stopped reading her book and said, "Well… the name does sound… vaguely… eerily familiar. Almost as though I might've known them personally at some point. It may just be déjà vu though, because there are many groups throughout this land's history that have gone by fairly similar titles."

Just then, Pinkie Pie shouted, "Hey! I think I found something!" She held up a book with a black cover that had an image of crescent moon emblazoned on the front. Immediately, Twilight took hold of it with her magic and opened it to read through it.

"'Dark Organizations of Ancient Equestria'?" she read aloud, confused by the odd title. "I don't remember this being anywhere in the library. Where did you find this, Pinkie?"

"It was in the wall behind that bookshelf over there!" the pink Earth Pony said, pointing a hoof to a bookshelf behind her, where there was an opening on the highest shelf.

"This place is just full of surprises, huh, Twilight?" Spike stated rather matter-of-factly.

The purple mare flipped to the table of contents, and surely enough, she found the name that she was looking for. She quickly flipped over to the page regarding the Knights of the Dark Moon and began reading: "'The Knights of the Dark Moon were an organization bent on bringing eternal darkness to Equestria and the world. They possessed unbelievable dark magic that could only be countered by pure, radiant light. Not much is known about the group itself, or its members, but what is known for absolute certain is that they served and worshipped-' oh, no…" Twilight stopped reading and looked up from the book. "This isn't good."

"What is it, Twilight?" Rarity inquired worriedly.

"The Knights of the Dark Moon… they were the servants of…"

"Of who?" Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.

Twilight gulped and looked over to Luna. "They served and worshipped… Nightmare Moon…"

-o-

**Yeah, this chapter doesn't seem very... well, good to me. Oh, well. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.**


	4. Chapter 4

Everypony's face was contorted in an expression of shock and horror. All eyes were on Luna now. The Princess of the Night just gaped at them, completely speechless. She had thought that the name of the group had sounded familiar, but worshippers of Nightmare Moon? How? Why? "I… I don't understand," she said as she backed up against a nearby wall, sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "I-I don't remember there ever being a cult that worshipped me."

"Not you, Luna," Twilight said in a tone that she tried to make sound reassuring. "They worshipped Nightmare Moon. You and Nightmare are two different ponies, even if you share a physical body." Luna gave no reply except a nervous glance before she developed a sudden interest in the floor. Twilight wanted to say something to cheer the elder princess up, but she doubted anything she could say would help. She turned to her friends again and said, "Okay, now we know who we're up against, but they're still a mystery to us. If we want to save Princess Celestia and get the sun back, we're going to need to be careful. Not just charge in headfirst." She gave a glance at Rainbow Dash.

"What?" the blue pegasus asked confusedly.

"Those ruffians likely have the princess locked up in the castle somewhere," Rarity chimed in, "or worse, in a dungeon at their own headquarters."

"Ah'm gonna have to agree with the latter here," Applejack stated. "And if that's the case, I reckon things are just gonna be more difficult."

"C-can I ask how they managed to lower the sun and turn day into night?" Fluttershy inquired, growing more nervous as the conversation became darker.

"Unicorns brought day and night before Princess Celestia and Luna's rule," Twilight explained. "Most of their members must be unicorns if they could force the sun down so quickly before the real evening time." Twilight then rubbed her chin with her hoof before facing Luna one last time. "Luna, are you absolutely certain that you don't remember anything about these guys?"

"I… I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle," the night princess said sorrowfully. "I wish I could, if only to truly aid you. But I cannot remember."

The purple alicorn sighed in accepting disappointment. "It's okay, Luna." She returned to her friends, looking dangerously serious. "Well, we know about the group we're facing, even if we don't know anything about their leader. I doubt this 'Necros' is going to be willing to listen to any form of reason."

"Maybe we'll find something if we go to those ruins in the Everfree Forest," Rainbow suggested.  
"That's where we found the Elements of Harmony, and it's where we faced off with Nightmare Moon." Everypony else nodded their agreement, and soon began to file out of the library. Twilight gave one last worried glance to Luna before leaving. The Princess of the Night had looked so… helpless ever since they got that letter. She shook her head. She needed to focus on finding Princess Celestia as soon as possible.

"Stay here, okay?" she said to the elder princess. "If the Knights get you and somehow free Nightmare Moon…" She trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air. The dark blue alicorn gave no response. Reluctantly, Twilight left the building, closing the door behind her.

Luna sat, staring at the floor once again, trying to think of something, anything that could be of use. But nothing came to her. She began to feel a sense of despair sinking into her heart. All of this… this was because of her. She could only barely remember what she did as Nightmare. She was so full of anger, frustration, hate… it was frightening how powerful those feelings were. She was angry that nopony paid attention to her night. She was frustrated that all her hard work constantly went unappreciated. She hated her sister for receiving all the love from the ponies that they ruled over, while she was stuck with their fear.

As she wallowed in her own misery, Spike kept giving her nervous looks, as though he thought that she would transform into Nightmare Moon at any moment. He began cleaning up the books that had been scattered around the floor, but as he was about to pick up the book about the Knights of the Dark Moon, Luna spoke up.

"May I see that for a moment?" she asked, making the baby dragon jump. Calming down quickly, he gave her the book, which she took hold of with her magic. She began to read the entry that Twilight had read, but her eyes soon fell on an illustration next to the text. It showed an image of Nightmare Moon – of _her_ – standing with a trio of stallions at her sides, a unicorn, a pegasus, and an Earth Pony. Behind them was a depiction of the moon, complete with Nightmare's head emblazoned within it. It did very little to help her mood at all.

She stared at the image for what felt to her like hours. All of this was her fault. This was happening because of her. She had given into her darkest emotions, and now her only living relative, her beloved elder sister, was in danger. All of Equestria was in danger. It was her- "Wait a moment…" she muttered to herself. She focused intently on each of the three stallions that stood with Nightmare. Each of them was vaguely familiar. "Spike, so you still have that letter that was sent by the Knights?"

The dragon gave her a confused glance and replied with, "Uh… yeah. I think so."

"Could you fetch it for me? I think something is coming back to me." Spike nodded and went to get the letter. He returned quickly and gave her the requested item, with she held with her magic, examining it as thoroughly as she could. _Necros,_ she thought. She eyed the unicorn in the book's illustration. Then, something suddenly returned to her.

_A dark-coated unicorn trotted through the halls of his mistress's palace, ready for whatever request she had for him. He had only recently been given the rank of general, and already he had received a summons from the Great One herself. He was more than eager to please the Ruler of the Darkness._

_He soon reached an elaborate and large set of double doors, each decorated with a reflecting image of their order's emblem. At either side of the great gates was a pegasus guard, both of whom moved to open the door for the young general. He entered the grand throne room the Everfree Palace and approached the only other pony in the room. When he was just a few feet away, he knelt down before the One Queen and said, "General Necros, answering your summons, Lady Nightmare."_

The memory ended there. Luna gasped at what had just happened to her. It was as though her mind had gone back in time and watched events in history take place. But that wasn't truly important right now. What was important was this Necros character. Who was he? Was this the same unicorn? If so, how could he be alive after over a thousand years?

"I must go," the princess stated, standing on all-fours, looking as though she were about to fight off some sort of monster.

"But didn't Twilight ask you to stay here?" Spike inquired.

Luna nodded. "Yes, she did. But I have too many questions now to just sit idly by and watch as events unfold. Farewell, young dragon." With that, the Princess of the Night left the library, heading for the Everfree Forest. Spike watched her as she galloped off and gulped.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," he thought out loud.

-o-

Within the ruined throne room that had once belonged to the One Queen, the dark unicorn stood beside the throne where Nightmare Moon should've been sitting. He, as well as his brothers- and sisters-in-faith, was truly eagerly awaiting Her inevitable return.

"Soon," he said to himself, closing his eyes and developing a calm, collected look. "Very soon."

-o-

**Don't you just love cliffhangers?**


	5. Chapter 5

The Mane 6 treaded cautiously in the darkness of the Everfree Forest, each of them keeping an eye out for any kind of trouble. Twilight had taken point, her horn glowing brightly and lighting their path somewhat. The eerie sounds and various shadows kept them on edge. Whether that was good or bad had yet to be determined.

"Ugh, this place is just as dreadful as any other time that we've come here!" Rarity complained loudly as she narrowly avoided stepping in a puddle of mud. "I can't wait for the day when it's announced that we never have to set hoof in here again!"

"Will you be quiet?" Applejack said seriously in a harsh whisper. "Do you wanna get caught by them Knights? Or worse, some kinda big predator? Yer talkin' loud enough to wake the dead for Pete's sake!"

"Well, excuse me for being optimistic about our future relationship with this horrid place," the white unicorn replied, rolling her eyes.

Twilight's ears suddenly twitched. "Hold on," she said. She looked around, her eyes scanning everything within her field of vision. "Do you hear that?" For several seconds, the six friends were as silent as church mice (yes, even Pinkie Pie), listening for anything that sounded out of the ordinary.

"I don't hear anything," Rainbow pointed out.

"That's what has me worried," Twilight stated. "Stay together, girls. I don't like this one bit."

"M-maybe all the animals are asleep right now?" Fluttershy suggested nervously.

"Fluttershy, you know better than anypony else that most of the animals here are nocturnal," Twilight said, making Fluttershy nod her head in slight shame. Twilight looked around again, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Something's out there."

Suddenly, a male voice said, "Maybe it's a chimera!" All of the Mane 6 jumped and shrieked in surprise, all turning to face the speaker. It was none other than Discord, who was currently laughing his butt off. "Oh, you should see the looks on your faces right now!" He continued to laugh at their expense, earning five glares and a disappointed look from Fluttershy.

"Discord," the shy pegasus said, getting the draconequus's attention, "that wasn't very nice! You startled us!"

The spirit of chaos wiped his eye as a laugh-induced tear formed. "Sorry, sorry. I just couldn't help myself! You were all so vulnerable and tense! I had to do something to lighten your moods a little!"

Immediately going back to business, Twilight asked, "Did you make it go quiet here, Discord?"

"No. I've been out here getting a quick nap, and when I woke up, all the animals were gone, and it was night. I could've sworn I only fell asleep around maybe ten this morning. How long was I out?"

"It's only about six in the afternoon," Pinkie replied, bringing out a clock seemingly from nowhere to show proof. Discord stared at the clock, then back at the sky. He suddenly had a concerned expression.

"Did something happen to Celestia to make it so dark out?" he asked worriedly as he looked back at the Mane 6.

Twilight nodded almost regretfully. "She's been captured by a group that calls themselves the Knights of the Dark Moon. They're a cult that worships Nightmare Moon, and we already know for a fact that they're after Princess Luna so that they can somehow turn her back into Nightmare Moon."

"Huh. I take it that's a bad thing." The draconequus held his eagle claw to his chin. "Well, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Any help at all would be a tremendous asset," Twilight answered, her mind already working through a few possible strategies. "We don't know what to expect from this new enemy. Having someone just as unpredictable would be more than beneficial."

"Then let's get going!" Discord called out with a grin as he took the lead, heading further into the Everfree. The Mane 6 followed after for several moments until he suddenly stopped and said, "Uh… where are we going exactly?"

Twilight rolled her eyes and said, "We're going to the castle ruins here in the forest. We think that there may be some clue as to how to stop the Knights of the Dark Moon there."

"Right! Let's move!" Again, Discord took the lead into the forest, the six young ponies following warily.

-o-

Necros stood upon the balcony of the ruined throne room, gazing out at the great forest that dominated much of Equestria. His silver eyes scanned the canopy, remembering when he first came to this place so many years ago. He could still remember when he was baptized into the Knights. The order had taken over his life. It had become his obsession, especially since the day he met the One Queen face-to-face.

"Lord Necros," called a mare's voice. Necros turned to face one of his fellow Knights. "Our scouts have reported in. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her allies are on their way. Princess Luna was not with them, however."

"She will come," Necros replied, turning to once again face the forest. The mare cocked her head slightly. "She and the One Queen share a body, but not a mind. She will come seeking answers. And she will get her answers." The mare nodded and was just about to leave. "Have the scouts set up a welcoming party for our guests. I wish to meet this Twilight Sparkle in the flesh."

"Of course, milord," the mare said with a bow. She left the room to carry out her orders, leaving Necros to himself. He eyed the forest with those cold, silver eyes of his. His attention was especially focused on the path leading from Ponyville. He could just about see the new guests approaching from where he stood.

-o-

The group of six ponies and one draconequus were making good progress through the forest, though Twilight really wished that Discord and Pinkie Pie would stop singing duets just about every ten seconds. She had to admit though, it was easier to deal with the forest while they were singing upbeat tunes. The others seemed to be a little apprehensive, as would be expected being this deep in the Everfree.

Twilight strained her ears to hear anything that sounded suspicious, which wasn't that hard, considering the whole forest was silent as a grave (besides the songs that Pinkie spat out at random intervals). Her ears suddenly twitched at the sound of a small branch breaking. "Hold on!" she called out to the others, who stopped and faced her. "I thought I heard something."

There were several moments of silence after that. Each of them focused intently on the area, their eyes and ears open to anything. After a few seconds, almost a minute, Discord sighed and said, "Come on, Twilight, there's nothing out here! I don't see or hear anything at all!"

As if on cue, several beams of magic all struck spirit of chaos all at once. Discord, having been caught completely unawares, was once again a statue before he could do anything to stop it. The Mane 6 shrieked in shock and stared at the frozen draconequus with wide eyes. "What the hay just happened!?" Rainbow Dash shouted as a large group of ponies appeared out of the forest, some wearing dark robes, and others wearing plated steel armor. There were dozens of them everywhere, unicorns, pegasi, and Earth Ponies alike. Twilight could only figure one thing: they were the Knights of the Dark Moon.

One pegasus flew over and landed by Discord's petrified form and said, "Welcome to the Everfree Forest. Our master would like to speak with you."

-o-

**Okay, yeah, this was kinda, sorta painfully short. Sorry about that. Just seemed like a good spot to close the chapter. Hope you enjoyed nonetheless.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, I finally got another chapter out for this story. Sorry it took so long, everyone. Enjoy.**

-o-

Luna held a determined expression as she walked down the path through the Everfree, twigs and dried leaved crunching under her hooves as she move ever forward. The darkness of the unnatural night was unnerving, even for her, despite knowing that, by now, it really would have nighttime. She continued onward regardless, pushing away any thoughts that would have her doubting herself as she did.

She looked up at the starry sky, studying each sparkling dot as she made her way through the forest. Her eyes soon landed on the moon itself. She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide at the celestial form above. The moon should've been full tonight. It should've been round and glowing brilliantly.

It was now a sliver of a crescent, dull and fading. The moon had been dissolving this whole time, and she hadn't even noticed. The light of the world was being enveloped in darkness. Now aware of this, she could see stars winking out of existence, one by one. She needed to hurry.

With a new source of motivation beyond getting the answers she desired, she galloped as fast as she could into the woods, passing mangled trees and gnarled stones as she ran. The eerie shadows that dominated her vision shifted and melded together into hideous, almost demonic, forms that surrounded her, attempting to suffocate her.

Soon, the ruins of the Everfree Castle came into view. She sighed in relief as she opened her wings and made to fly over the chasm between the ruins and herself. Just before she could ascend, however, a shock suddenly struck her body, locking her limbs in place, and forcing her into near-unconsciousness. Before she blacked out completely, she could just make out the form of a pony wearing ominous robes standing over her, muttering some sort of arcane chant. Then darkness…

-o-

She could feel cold, hard stone under her body. She could hear the vague sound of whispers being spoken. She might've heard somepony say something about a "pretender," but she wasn't totally certain. Luna's eyes opened slowly and tiredly, gradually revealing that she was now in Everfree Castle's throne room, surrounded by a number of ponies all clad in dark robes and plated armor.

Luna immediately stood on all fours, her horn glowing and ready for battle. "You are the Knights of the Dark Moon, are you not?" she asked. Nopony gave any response. The Princess of the Night turned her head to study her captors. They were all eyeing her as well, probably waiting for her to make the first move. "I want to speak with your leader."

"I fear that that would be quite impossible," a male voice suddenly spoke up. Luna faced the source to see a dark unicorn standing by the throne, wearing plated armor and dark cape over his back. His mane was like fire, his eyes silver as the moon. He held no pity in those eyes.

The night princess narrowed her eyes at him. "And why would that be?"

"Because, she is trapped within you, Princess Luna," the stallion replied with a sliver of a sneer. "The One Queen lies imprisoned in you. But until she is free, I will gladly answer any questions you might have."

Luna hesitated for a brief moment. "Are you the unicorn called Necros?" she asked. The dark stallion nodded in response. "Then tell me: how are you even alive right now? I recalled a memory centering around you. A memory from one thousand years ago. How did you survive all those years?"

Necros sighed, almost as if he were disappointed. "I am not truly surprised that you do not remember how it happened. But here is the truth: I am not that same Necros. He was my distant ancestor. A stallion of great honor and prowess. He served our Queen faithfully until Death claimed his soul, even after she had been banished by the foolish tyrant that you call your sister."

The princess's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Celestia. "What have you done with her? Where is my sister? Tell me!"

Necros grunted and motioned to a trio of pegasi who had been standing in a corner. The three winged ponies nodded and each went to a different point in the room, all three stopping at old, rusty-looking levers. All three pulled the levers at once, causing the floor in front of the throne to open. Three large cages rose up from the opening, revealing Celestia bound in magically enhanced chains, a petrified Discord, and all the Mane 6, each of them tethered, gagged, and trapped in a bubble that prevented Twilight or Rarity from using their magic to escape.

Luna's eyes went wide when she saw this. She uttered a low growl and glared hatefully at Necros. "You monster! I demand that you release them all at once!"

"We do not take orders from _you_!" Necros exclaimed, his voice booming as if he were speaking into a megaphone. "We follow and obey only Nightmare Moon, She who is the one, true, rightful ruler of this world!" Necros made another motion to a nearby unicorn, who approached Luna with a strangely glowing vial and wooden bowl held aloft by her magic.

Luna eyed the vial and bowl as they were set in front of her. "What is this?" she asked.

"That is the result of one thousand years' worth of tireless research," Necros replied calmly. "It is a potion designed to split a pony into two version of themselves. This is the perfected version. I tested it on myself, and destroyed my weaker, blasphemous other self."

"You WHAT!?" Luna shouted in shock and horror.

"You will drink that potion," the dark stallion said, completely ignoring Luna's obvious abhorrence of his revelation. "It will free our Queen so that she may once again rule this world, with her loyal Knights as her enforcers."

"And why would I ever do that?"

"Because if you do not…" He eyed Celestia, Discord, and the Mane 6 with no remorse at all. "I will have them all killed. Discord will be smashed into pieces, the Elements of Harmony crushed within that bubble, and your sister… shall be beheaded." Luna was speechless at how heartlessly Necros had spoken of killing his prisoners. He was a truly evil creature. One that could not be saved. "Now then… choose: release our Queen, or be the reason your dear friends and sister died. I shall give you one minute to decide."

Luna stared at her imprisoned friends and family, utterly horrified by this ultimatum. She could either unleash her inner demon upon the world, or let those she holds dear die. This was an impossible decision, with no good outcome.

"You have thirty seconds," Necros announced, pulling Luna out of her thoughts. Had it really been that long already? She shook her slightly and focused on her options. What would happen if she tried fighting? She was severely outnumbered. She wouldn't last long against dozens of other ponies at once. "Twenty seconds."

Luna cringed at that announcement. She had to think of something, and fast. Desperate, she looked at her sister, who was battered and weak. She was clearly beaten into submission, then trapped in chains that hindered her power tremendously. Her eyes were barely open. Her mouth moved as if to say something, but it was quiet. Luna couldn't read lips, but she was sure that Celestia wouldn't want her to release Nightmare Moon.

"Five seconds," Necros stated.

"Very well," Luna said, hanging her head in shame and defeat. "I'll do it." She could hear Celestia mutter something that was barely audible as she poured the potion into the bowl with her magic, the fluid being a shimmering red. She lifted the bowl to her lips, but before she drank, she said, "You will not get away with this, Necros. I will stop you and Nightmare Moon."

Necros actually chuckled at that. "You believe that you can defeat our order and our Queen at the same time? How quaint."

Luna narrowed her eyes once again at the unicorn before returning her attention to the red liquid in the bowl. She drank it down, every last drop. When she finished she dropped the bowl to the floor. She felt nothing for a few seconds. But suddenly, out of nowhere, her entire body was racked with unbearable, unbelievable agony. It was like a thousand blazing needles had been rammed into her flesh all at the same time, and were slowly cutting deeper and deeper into her body. She screamed in pain, her from being enveloped in a dark light.

With an explosion of magical power, she was sent skidding roughly against the ground, only stopping when she hit a wall. With a pained groan, she stood and looked back across the room. Her eyes went wide at the pony that now stood at the throne, Necros standing by her right side.

The dark alicorn at the throne laughed as she took in the sight of her loyal followers, who were now bowing before her. "Ah, finally," she said with a malevolent grin. "I'm free of that pathetic mare. Now I can truly conquer this world and spread my night unhindered!"

Necros knelt at her side. "Yes, my Queen. And the Knights of the Dark Moon will serve as your sword and your shield, as we always have."

Luna could only watch in horror as the alicorn began to approach her, her dark, villainous eyes glowing evilly. _What have I done?_ she asked herself as Nightmare Moon towered over her. Only now did Luna realize what Celestia had said:

_"Run, Luna… run…"_


	7. Chapter 7

The light of the moon and stars died out even faster than before, darkness overtaking everything as the black alicorn casually and gradually approached the smaller princess. Luna could not say anything as the living manifestation of her own hatred, jealousy, and anger grinned victoriously at her. She had never actually seen Nightmare Moon, for obvious reasons, except in depictions of Mare of Darkness in history books. The dark mare before her was far more intimidating than she had ever thought possible.

Nightmare stopped in front of her, standing over her with a look of disdain in her eyes, despite her vile, fanged grin. "Dear, dear Luna," she said in an ominous tone, leaning towards the blue alicorn with absolute sureness that she wouldn't dare try anything. "Why so frightened? You had to see this day coming eventually. This is the day you confront yourself… and fail miserably."

Luna simply blinked in response, as she was unsure of what she should say or do. She tried backing away from the villain in front of her, but she was already as far back against the wall as possible. Finally, she managed to squeeze out a few words: "I… I am not afraid of you."

The dark mare reared her head back in laughter at that claim, as if it were the greatest joke she had ever heard. She glared back down at Luna with a condescending look in her eyes. "Is that so? Is that why you're trembling like a newborn foal? Is that why your eyes are flooded with thoughts of fleeing? Of failure to defeat me? Of losing your precious big sister and foalish friends?"

"H-how…?" Luna was at a loss for words. Nightmare had seen through her bluff like it was a window.

The Mare of Darkness chuckled lightly, looking off to the right for whatever reason. "When you're trapped within another pony's body for as long me, you quickly learn how to read that pony like a book." She looked back at the princess. "And you're like a picture book for little foals. So simple. So scared. So weak. Your story is one of cowardice and weakness. I made you strong! I made you known! Because of me, you were recognized by all!"

"I was feared by everypony!" Luna said through gritted teeth. Nightmare merely smirked at this. "I was hated because of you! When I was freed from your control, nopony loved or recognized me! They saw me only as Nightmare Moon and cowered at the mere sight of me!"

"The best way to rule is to rule through fear," Nightmare said with complete belief in her own statement. "Love and friendship will only make one's kingdom weak. When you have their fear, you have their loyalty." She turned away and walked back to the throne, passing Celestia and the Mane 6 a spiteful glare each. She stood at the throne, Necros at her side of course, returning her attention to Luna. "You've lived for over a thousand years. Even longer than me. You should know these truths by now."

Luna stood nervously, her eyes not leaving Nightmare's gaze. She shook her head. "No. These aren't truths. You don't understand what being a true leader is!"

"And you do?" Nightmare retorted with an amused smile.

Luna cringed at that. She looked at her sister, who looked like she was hopelessly struggling against her bindings. The younger princess closed her eyes, lowering her head. "No… no, I don't know how to truly lead others." The Mare of Darkness laughed at this, and was about to say something before Luna continued. "But at least I am willing to admit to it. Celestia is far greater a leader than either you or I could ever hope to be. Not even an eternity will give you the time to fill her shoes."

There was a silence among everypony in the room as Luna and Nightmare Moon eyed each other warily, the both of them looking ready to duke it out at any moment. From the cage that she and her friends were trapped in, Twilight watched the scene anxiously, fearing whatever might happen next. She turned and looked out a nearby window. The outside world was completely black, as though the world had become a bleak, empty void. The only reason anypony could see at all were the numerous torches hanging on the walls of the throne room, their flames flickering and cracking, causing shadows to dance ominously on the walls, and making Nightmare Moon look even more intimidating.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash suddenly shouted in frustration. "Nightmare! Why don't you just go back to being stuck in the moon forever!?"

Necros sneered angrily at the young mare's defiant disrespect. "How dare you speak to your rightful ruler like that!? You will show the One Queen the respect she deserves!"

"Calm yourself, Necros," Nightmare said, a look of amusement once again plastered on her face. "I have something of a game in mind." She returned her focus to Luna. "I will have your friends released into the Everfree Forest."

Luna blinked at that statement. "What?"

Necros gave a look that matched Luna's confused expression. "My Queen, why?" he asked. "We took away the Elements of Harmony, but they could still prove to be threat."

"Which is what's going to make this little bit of sport all the more interesting," the evil alicorn replied with a twisted grin. She eyed Luna again. "The Knights will give them a ten minute head start. As those six are being hunted, you and I will do battle. Should you defeat me before all of them are captured, they will go free, and I will leave this land forever. But when you lose…" She chuckled darkly. "Well, suffice it to say that I won't be nearly so kind. What say you to my generous offer?"

"You're an arrogant sociopath," Luna said bluntly, her gaze hardened. "But… I will accept your offer and your challenge. I shall defeat you before they are captured again. That is a promise."

Nightmare grinned. "We'll just have to see about that. Necros, release them. Give them a few minutes after they head out before you go after them. And don't kill them yet. I still have to repay them for what they did to me when I was finally free of my accursed prison."

"Of course, my Queen." The dark-coated stallion's horn glowed with a dark purple aura, and the bubble that had trapped the Mane 6 disintegrated. The ropes holding them down glowed with a matching aura and untied themselves, freeing the six friends, and the door to the cage opened. Almost the instant the door moved, Rainbow made to zoomed toward Nightmare Moon as if to attack her, but Twilight grabbed her by her tail with her magic and pulled her back down.

"Hey, what gives, Twilight!?" the multi-colored pegasus demanded.

"Rainbow, you should know that you wouldn't stand a chance against Nightmare all by yourself!" the young alicorn scolded her friend with a serious glare. "We don't even have the Elements with us! We won't be able to do much, if anything at all!"

"But-!"

"Twilight is right," Luna said with a solid look of determination on her features. "Besides, I… I need to do this on my own. The six of you must go now."

"B-but what about you?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

Luna turned to face Nightmare again, but she continued to speak to the six young mares. "As I said, this is something I need to do. Alone. I promise that I will defeat Nightmare Moon before anything gets any worse." The six mares nodded, Rainbow Dash being the most reluctant to, and made to leave the throne room. As she was about to leave the room, Twilight gave one last look back to the Princess of the Night.

"Good luck, Luna," she said, to which Luna nodded appreciatively. The purple alicorn then left with her friends, getting out into the Everfree Forest.

The minutes dragged on quietly, slowly, almost painfully, as Luna and Nightmare Moon continued their deadlocked glaring contest. Soon, the ten minute mark arrived. "We shall be going now, Your Majesty," Necros informed the Mare of Darkness. "We shall return with all six of those blasphemers in chains." Nightmare nodded her acknowledgment as her second-in-command made to leave, his fellow Knights following without question.

Now alone, save for the audience of the weakened Celestia and the petrified Discord, the two alicorns of night stood across from one another, nothing and nopony between them. Nopony to stop them.

"Before we begin," Nightmare said, "do you have any last words that you wish to share with your precious sister? Now may be your only chance."

"I have nothing to say that I have not said already," Luna stated as if that should've been obvious.

"Good. Then we don't have to waste time." The dark alicorn's horn began to glow with ominous power, a clear sign that she was ready for battle. "Let's begin."

Celestia could only watch as her sister readied herself to enter into combat with her villainous other self. Imprisoned as she was, there was nothing she could do to help her beloved sibling. All she could do was hope. Luna was the only one who had a chance against the Mare of Darkness now. Luna was hope now.

-o-

**Next chapter is going to be big. Later guys.**


	8. Chapter 8

Twilight panted heavily as she and the others galloped through the forest, passing numerous gnarled trees and vicious sounds, her and Rarity's horns being their only sources of light. They could hear the sound of dozens of hooves thundering after them, clear evidence that the Knights of the Dark Moon were still hot on their trail. The cult was obviously going to catch up with them soon if they didn't do something fast. With no time to think, she went with the first thing that came to mind.

"Everypony, split up!" she shouted back at her friends. "We'll have a better chance at staying hidden if we separate!" Her friends all nodded and broke from the group, each going a different direction. Twilight tried to ignore the sound of the Knights that were still chasing after her, focusing only on the path ahead, but with a single thought ricocheting throughout her head:

How would Luna beat Nightmare Moon all by herself? The Mare of Darkness was incredibly powerful, so much so that Princess Celestia had to use all of the Elements of Harmony to banish Nightmare to the moon for a thousand years. Luna didn't have much of a chance, but wasn't giving anypony else the choice to help her.

_Be safe, Luna,_ she thought with a worried expression, giving one brief glance back at the Everfree Castle, where she could just see a dark blue light emanating from the throne room. She looked away and kept running ahead, eventually stopping when she could no longer hear the hoofsteps of the Knights behind her.

She huffed and panted as she stopped running. She looked up at the bleak, empty sky. Her horn was literally her only source of light at the moment. She wasn't used to such total darkness. Clearly, Nightmare Moon and her cult followers were even more powerful than she had originally thought almost a year ago. She could feel in her gut that it would take an especially powerful form of magic to save Equestria this time.

No, not just Equestria. This wasn't just one country's problem anymore. This was the entire world's fate in their hooves now. The stakes were far higher than ever before. If they didn't stop Nightmare, the world would be trapped in permanent darkness. Life would fade away in starvation for the sun's light. Everything would gradually just die off in a matter of months, if not weeks.

"Tonight's sky is truly beautiful, is it not?" asked a stallion's voice that made her jump. She faced the source to find Necros himself sitting not ten feet from her.

"You!" she shouted, her horn glowing and ready for battle.

Necros raised an eyebrow at her, then continued to gaze up at the sky. He sighed with dark admiration. "The great, black void of darkness is truly elegant when one looks at it with a truly discerning eye." Twilight made a confused look. "It holds so many secrets, so many lost wonders. It can hide even the greatest of powers, and no one would ever notice." Necros actually chuckled then. "It's funny, really. I've always been the only one who can see that hidden beauty. Her beauty. I have had to teach all of my fellow Knights how, and yet even they struggle to truly see it."

Twilight eyed him with a still-confused expression. She had to admit, she could now see why all of those other ponies would follow and obey him so willingly. His speech, the mere way he spoke… it was indescribable. It was a way of speaking that could lead others into a calm order or a frenzied craze with but a hoofful of words.

Necros sighed again, this time with… regret? "Before I end your resistance to the One Queen, I feel I must tell you something."

The young alicorn narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What would that be?"

The dark stallion sighed once again and removed his cloak with his magic. He dropped the cape onto the ground. "I have no true loyalty to Nightmare Moon," he admitted with a serious look, catching Twilight completely off guard. "I only serve her because it is my duty. All my ancestors since the original Necros have served to revive her in any way possible. I am merely upholding the traditions and beliefs that have been passed down through my family for generations."

Twilight shook her head in disbelief, then narrowed her eyes. "But… if you don't have any actual loyalty in Nightmare, then that just means you don't have to serve her!"

"This is my decision, mare," Necros replied calmly. "I have already made my choice. And I have already come too far. I will finish what my family started over a thousand years ago. It is my destiny. That is an unchangeable thing."

The young princess frowned at that. "You always have a choice. Even after you've already made one."

"That is your belief, regardless of how childish it is." Necros turned away from her again, this time watching the Everfree Castle. "I shall allow you the first attack."

Twilight eyed him skeptically. She closed her eyes and thought on what she should do. Soon enough, she turned away from Necros to watch the castle as well. "I'm not going to fight you," she said. "I have faith that Luna can beat Nightmare."

Necros once again chuckled in dark amusement, not turning away from the castle. "You fascinate me, Twilight Sparkle. I leave myself wide open to an attack, and you choose not to strike. All because you believe your princess will defeat the One Queen."

"She will," Twilight stated, also keeping her eyes on the ancient structure. "She has to. She would never let us down."

-o-

Luna flew up to evade a blast of black magic that exploded where she had once stood. She charged her horn with magic and released a volley of projectiles, which Nightmare deflected with a powerful barrier, the bolts bouncing off harmlessly. The dark alicorn then charged into the air, apparently ready to skewer Luna on her horn. The Princess of the Night quickly moved to the side, dodging the tackle and delivering a kick aimed at Nightmare's head. The Mare of Darkness ducked to avoid the strike, and moved her horn so that it was pointed directly at Luna's chest. Without warning, she released a burst of power into her counterpart, sending the princess hurtling through a nearby wall and into the hall beyond, where she groaned in pain on the floor.

She stood, grunting and rubbing her chest carefully. She had no lethal injuries, but it was still considerably painful. Nightmare Moon must want to take her time, she surmised. The evil alicorn was clearly confident in her abilities. And she was no doubt very strong.

_This, _Luna thought as Nightmare Moon entered the hall, an evil, cocky smirk on her face,_ may be more difficult than I anticipated._ She managed to stand ready on all fours, looking up at her darker self with disdain.

Nightmare simply laughed at this, remaining in the air as if she was too grand a pony to step hoof on the ground anymore. She grinned darkly at her counterpart. "Well, this duel is off to a fairly good start, wouldn't you agree?" Luna just glared silently at her impostor, to which Nightmare frowned almost like she was disappointed. "Oh, that pouty face of yours is just so drab. You really should lighten up a little. This _is_ going to be your last living day after all. Or night, preferably. Either way, you're about to be destroyed completely. It would probably be best if you relaxed a little and accept your defeat right now."

Luna sneered angrily at that statement. "I will never surrender to you! Not again!" Nightmare merely continued to laugh, much to Luna's chagrin. "I am stronger than you think, Nightmare Moon! I will defeat you, and I will save my sister and free Equestria from your evil once and for all! That is a promise!"

The Mare of Darkness chuckled in amusement. "That's quite a lofty goal that you've set your eyes on," she said in an arrogant tone. "You realize that not even Celestia was able to defeat me all by herself, correct? And she is far more powerful than you are. A snowflake has a better chance at surviving in Tartarus than what you have at beating me." That said, she vanished in a flash of light. Luna heard a brief _pop_ behind her, and was about to face the source when she was hit with a blast of magic from Nightmare Moon's horn. The black alicorn laughed as if she had just heard a great joke. "You're so slow! So weak and hopeless. You're not making this any easier for yourself."

Luna groaned once more as she struggled to stand again. She faced her dark half with a shaky glare. She stumbled on her hooves as she attempted to move closer. That last attack had really done a number on her. She felt like she had just been thrown under a steamroller. This wasn't going well in the least. She needed to finish this soon or… or…

She looked the Mare of Darkness dead in the eyes. Those terrible, malevolent, cruel, snakelike eyes that sent chills down her spine every time she saw them in her nightmares. Except this wasn't merely a bad dream. She backed away slowly then as Nightmare Moon took just a few steps closer. The dark alicorn didn't miss this.

"Oh, is it finally dawning on you?" she inquired in sick amusement. "Are you finally realizing just how hopeless your struggle is?" Luna didn't say anything. She couldn't. Her focus was trapped on Nightmare's eyes– _her_ eyes. Her will to keep fighting was gradually ebbing away the longer she looked into those eyes.

Nightmare was right. This was a futile effort. She could never defeat somepony who had once nearly defeated Celestia. She was too weak. Too vulnerable. Too afraid.

Luna backed away several more steps as Nightmare drew closer, her eyes glowing with vile eagerness to finally end this once and for all. The Mare of Darkness held a victorious grin. "This is the end, Luna," she said ominously. "Farewell forever, little princess." Her horn began to glow with dark power. Luna squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to watch herself die.


	9. Chapter 9

She awaited a painful strike into oblivion. She held her eyes shut tight, afraid how Nightmare Moon may have enjoyed her demise. But she felt nothing. Had she already be stricken down? Would the Mare of Darkness really allow her such a painless death? More curious than afraid at this point, she slowly opened her eyes, which widened slowly at what they saw.

She was in a realm of countless twinkling lights, like stars. Being here reminded her of what it was like to be on the moon for so long. All she could see the infinity of space and the stars that dotted the heavens. Was she really dead? Was this some sort of purgatory?

"Luna…" said a weak, feminine voice. She jumped at the sound of it and immediately recognized it as the voice of her sister. She turned to face the source and found a battered Celestia lying a few feet away, panting heavily.

"Sister!" Luna called worriedly as she rushed over to the sun princess's side. She knelt down to be at eye level with her elder sibling. "Are you all right? Where are we? Is Nightmare Moon still on the loose?"

Celestia gave a weak smile to her beloved little sister. "I've been worse," she said jokingly. "Nightmare Moon is still out there, but she has not yet won. We are in the space where Twilight became an alicorn. I was only able to build up the strength to link our minds in this place, and it won't last for very long."

"But what about-?"

"Don't worry, Luna," Celestia assured the night princess. "Time is still in the real world right now. I needed to speak with you." Luna gave a nervous look to the elder alicorn, who gave a heavy sigh. "I could see the fear in your eyes in the real world, even from where I am imprisoned. You can't give into it. You're the only one who can defeat her."

The Princess of the Night gave her sister a wide-eyed look. "B-but she's too powerful! I… I can't defeat her. I'm weak. I'm… I'm nothing…"

Celestia narrowed her eyes. "You are _not_ nothing, Little Sister. You are Luna, Princess of the Night, one of the most powerful alicorns in the world. You are not weak."

Luna hung her head in shame. "But… Nightmare is even more powerful than you… I can't win against her. It's hopeless."

The Princess of the Sun gave another heavy sigh, and lifted her sister's head with her hoof. "Luna… do you know why Mother and Father gave you your name?"

Luna gave her sister a confused look, but nodded. "My name comes from an old language. It was the word for the moon."

The sun princess nodded. "That is half of it, my dear sister. They named you 'Luna,' not just because they felt that your destiny was somehow tied in with the moon, but also because they believed you to be a ray of hope. That even in the greatest darkness, you would shine bright to chase away those that would wish harm upon our homeland and its inhabitants." Luna still held a confused face. "Luna… you are…" Celestia's voice began to fade out.

"What? Sister, I cannot hear you!" And as if on cue, and to Luna's horror, Celestia herself began to fade away. "Sister! Don't go! What are you trying to tell me!?" She didn't get any answer. The space suddenly vanished, replaced by the image of Nightmare Moon standing over her, her horn charged with evil power.

"Die!" the Mare of Darkness shouted victoriously as she released a blast of magic at Luna. The princess yelped suddenly and, in a moment of panic and instinct, teleported out of the way of the attack, landing right in front of the cage where Celestia was still held prisoner.

Luna looked up at her sister, eyes wide once again. The sun princess was giving her a weak smile, a tiny flicker of hope visible in her eyes. She uttered only a single word at that moment:

_"Lulu…"_

The night princess's eyes widened further, then slowly closed. She turned away from her sister to face Nightmare Moon, and opened her eyes once again, fear having been replaced with determination. "Nightmare Moon," she said in as confident a tone as she could muster. "This is where it ends, once and for all!"

The Mare of Darkness laughed heartily at that proclamation. "Well, you certainly seem fired up all of a sudden," she said in a mocking tone. "One _last_ burst of courage before you die, hmm? Very well. Let's see how much longer you can last!" The dark alicorn fired off a volley of magic missiles at the princess, who simply erected a barrier to deflect the attacks, then reformed the shield into a sphere of dense magical energy, which she fired at her counterpart.

Nightmare flew up to avoid the attack and stayed in the air, an arrogant grin on her face. Luna flew up to the same level as her dark twin, her eyes burning with a renewed vigor.

The two alicorns both began to charge their horns with as much power as they could bring out. They soon unleashed that power against each other, their magical beams forcing a deadlock that created a shockwave that blew apart the throne room's ceiling, revealing the empty black sky above. Both mares pushed as hard as they could with their magic to try and overpower the other.

Nightmare couldn't believe what was happening right now. The princess was barely able to stand earlier! Where had this power come from so suddenly? She couldn't possibly be struggling right now! She had poured all of her strength into this one attack! This was enough to overpower Celestia over a thousand years ago! Why couldn't she do this against somepony who was so much weaker than the Princess of the Sun!?

With outrage boiling in her veins now, the Mare of Darkness channeled all of her anger into forcing her magic to grow stronger and stronger. Soon enough, her stream of evil magic was gradually beating back Luna's. She smirked at this. She continued to channel her fury until her power eventually forced Luna to break the lock and fly off to avoid being struck down by the hate-fueled blast.

Nightmare Moon laughed in a triumphant tone then. "You can never defeat me, little princess!" she exclaimed loudly. "I will not fail again! I will cover this world in eternal darkness for all time! Nopony will ever see the light of day again!"

Luna sneered in frustration at that. She was about to attack again when she had something akin to an epiphany. _Darkness,_ she thought.

_"They named you 'Luna,' not just because they felt that your destiny was somehow tied in with the moon, but also because they believed you to be a ray of hope. That even in the greatest darkness, you would shine bright to chase away those that would wish harm upon our homeland and its inhabitants."_

That's what Celestia had said. The night princess lowered her with her eyes closed. _I am not weak, _she told herself. _I am not nothing._ She lifted her head again, her eyes open once more, giving Nightmare a look, not of anger, hate, fear, or anything like that. It was just a look. "I am not a princess of darkness," she said aloud, making Nightmare Moon raise an eyebrow in confusion. "I am Luna, Princess of the Night. And I know what it is that you fear, Mare of _Darkness_." She emphasized the last word as her horn began to glow brightly.

"Oh, really?" Nightmare scoffed. "And whatever might that be?"

Luna's eyes began to glow a pure, elegant white as her horn began to glow brighter. "You seek to envelop the world in total darkness," she said with complete sureness. "You seek this not just because you want others to suffer, but also because you fear the alternative." Nightmare's eyes widened slightly at that statement. "But you forgot one crucial detail."

"And what is that?" Nightmare inquired somewhat nervously.

Luna began to fly up higher. A silvery light began to gleam on the horizon behind her. "You have forgotten that, even in the blackest of eves, even when all is covered by shadows…" The silver light began to rise higher and higher into the sky, showering everything with its glow that Nightmare Moon backed away from. "No matter how dark everything seems… there will always be light!"

With that said, the moon rose fully into the sky, far larger and brighter than any night before. Its light rained down on Nightmare Moon like a torrential downpour. She hissed in pain as she tried to vainly shield herself from the silver glow. She could see, much to her terror, that her body was beginning to crack and tear, a white light pouring out from the holes appearing on her form.

"NO!" she screamed in horror and agony as the light fully engulfed her. With one final cry, her body shattered into black fragments that scattered and disintegrated in the air.

Luna huffed and panted as her eyes faded back to normal, as did her horn and the moon, which shrank back to its original size. She gave a small grin, feeling completely exhausted. She descended down to the floor of the throne room, landing in front of the cage that held Celestia. The sun princess gave her younger sister a proud smile. Luna smiled back as she lay down on the stone floor. She had done it. She had finally bested Nightmare Moon. She closed her eyes tiredly. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

She smiled the whole time she rested. Her nightmares were gone.

-o-

**This isn't the ending _just_ yet. I'll get the final chapter up sooner or later.**


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